


Sprouting Melodies

by Snowblossom



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Inaccurate Boiling Isles Plant Lore, also willow loves her fathers very much but is still a teen, because we've barely seen anything for her, featuring my own HCs for skara, i was a teen once i know how it is, if canon proves me otherwise then i simply do not see, let me know if that warrants a rating change, meaning ‘my parent(s) are embarrassing’, no beta readers we die like men, now with a few swears, skara is bi and u cannot change my mind, skara u cannot hide from ur feelings they are not going away, so i get to create my own ideas :), willow’s dads own a bakery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26806084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowblossom/pseuds/Snowblossom
Summary: Skara and Willow don't have a history of being close - for a while, they weren't even friends. But maybe, with time, that can change. It certainly does quite quickly for Skara.
Relationships: Willow Park/Skara
Comments: 45
Kudos: 81





	1. The start of something new

**Author's Note:**

> I think this ship is super cute, but there’s basically no content for them, so… I made my own. :3
> 
> I already have the plot points within specific chapters planned out, and though I’m not entirely sure whether this is going to be a 3 chapter fic with a follow-up one-shot sequel, or four chapters of one fic, there WILL be a total of four different “segments”. The first two are from Skara’s POV, and the last two are from Willow’s.

Despite most people’s first impression of her, Skara didn’t like to sing in front of other people. 

Sure, she was excitable by nature, and generally energetic, often dubbed the "fun" friend. She was in the bard track, and actively enjoyed performing with instruments, so she didn’t exactly blame people when they thought she’d like performing with vocals. But that didn’t stop her from always dreading when she had to explain it. 

Give her any instrument she knew, and she’d play it without hesitation! Be it in front of her entire school, her friends, or a thousand strangers, she could do it with ease and not even break a sweat. But something about singing around other people just made her mouth dry and her throat close up, leaving her unable to utter a single peep, let alone a tune. 

The thing was, Skara _loved_ to sing, but just… not around others. 

She used to sing a lot more when she was little, but around her parents she usually got shut down. It was her own fault, really! She would always sing along to whatever melody happened to come into her head, even if her parents were busy with work or in an important meeting, and they didn’t want her distracting them. Skara didn’t blame them for that. 

Even among friends though, she had always been able to tell that they shot her weird looks whenever she’d just burst into song, or hummed a tune under her breath. They were usually subtle, but Skara had noticed the way they looked at her when it happened, exchanging glances between themselves. A few occasions, someone - usually Boscha - had told her in clear words that she was being annoying. Eventually, she stopped singing, and the odd looks and the whispers disappeared along with it. She didn’t really sing at all unless she was alone after that.

At one point a bit later on in her childhood, she was given the opportunity to sing in front of a small crowd, and she just found that she… couldn’t. She’d _wanted_ to, finally given an opportunity where her singing would be _appreciated_ rather than an annoyance, but something had just held her back. A stroke of fear she couldn’t control ignited within her, trapping her voice. She had declined the offer, excusing herself by claiming that she wasn’t a very good singer, and it was enough. 

After that, any time she tried to sing in front of other people, a similar reaction occurred. A sense of fear and rush of unwanted adrenaline would flow through her system, and she’d find herself completely unable to say anything. It was incredibly frustrating, but by now she’d just accepted it. She refused to tell anyone the real reasons though, for fear of shame, or blackmail. Openly showing weakness like that was never a good trait, her mother had told her that enough times for her to know.

So, she stuck to her instruments. She could play a variety of them - though her favourite was the harp - and she knew she was good. People complimented her on her talent - her peers, her teachers, her parents. It was always more pleasant, more _wanted_ than if she ever sung. She enjoyed it well enough, so she always did her best to not let it bother her. She didn't always succeed, though, and it seemed like today was one of those days. 

That day, students that were part of the bard track had been given the opportunity to learn from an accomplished vocalist on how to weave magic into music. The workshop had sounded so cool, but the students attending would be required to participate. By singing. So, Skara wasn’t able to go. Instead she simply finished her - rather boring - classes for the day, and now found herself in a funk. 

She did her best not to let a bitter mood completely encompass her as she stuffed her books back into her locker. It was hard though, she had _so_ wanted to learn that vocal stuff - it wasn’t fair! She wished she was able to study more about the vocalist parts of the bard track, but students that did had to sing themselves, so she was stuck with instruments alone. Ugh.

If her locker had had a door, she most definitely would have slammed it. Instead, she tried (and mostly failed) to not sulk too much as her locker’s mouth closed, all her books in place for tomorrow’s school day. 

“Hey Skara!” 

A voice called out behind her, interrupting her self pity-party, and Skara whipped her head around. She immediately felt her mood lighten as she recognized the individual. 

Willow Park. Fellow student of hexside, part of the plant track, and Skara’s friend. Though, the last part was relatively more recent. Skara was infinitely glad she’d separated herself from her old friend group, (or, more specifically, Boscha), and became closer with this new one. 

She smiled, trying to brush away everything that had been troubling her so far that day, and lifted a hand in greetings. “Oh, hey Willow!” 

Willow walked up towards her, and Skara could tell her gaze was scrutinizing, and she tensed slightly. How much had she seen? Had she been watching Skara mope? She hoped not, she didn’t want to have to explain herself, and lying just seemed mean. Also she wasn’t a good liar anyways, but still. 

“I’m going over to meet up with Gus, Luz and Amity outside, we’re gonna study a bit and hang out. You wanna come?” 

Skara let herself relax a little, glad her sour mood hadn't been brought up, but hesitated. “Are you sure I’d be welcome?” 

Sure, Skara was friends with them _now_ , but she still felt out of place sometimes. Even with Amity there, who she'd technically been friends with for years, she’d hung around the group that belittled the rest of them consistently. It was an odd change, and she was still getting used to actually being comfortable about it. 

“What?” Willow’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Skara, we’re all friends now. Of course you will. Do you _want_ to come?” 

Skara forced the tension out of her shoulders, expression turning to a grin. “Definitely!” 

Willow took the lead through the hallway, largely empty of students even just five minutes after classes had ended for the day. They walked in a relative silence for a few moments, before Willow spoke up again in a low voice. 

“Is something bothering you?” 

Skara forced herself not to become stiff. Damn, she hadn’t gotten out of this. She turned to Willow, offering a smile that probably didn’t reach her eyes. “What? No! Why would you think that?” she laughed, but it was strained, even Skara could tell. 

Willow didn’t respond immediately, looking at her with narrowed eyes and a bit of a pout. Skara would define it as being cute, if the look wasn’t directed at her. Weirdly enough, she didn’t seem to be judging Skara, or annoyed, as she’d expect anyone to be from her sullen attitude. Instead, she saw concern in the other witch’s expression. 

“You just seemed kind of out of it by your locker.” she finally added. 

“Oh, that-” Skara went to brush off Willow’s concerns, but made the mistake of looking into her eyes. She looked so honestly worried, it gave Skara pause. They were friends - she could tell her the truth! Or at least an extension of it. It wouldn’t be admitting too much… would it?

“Skara?” 

“It’s nothing, Willow, really! I’m fine.” the words slipped out of her mouth before she could think better of them. Oh well. 

But then, Willow stopped walking, forcing Skara to do the same. She leveled her with an almost-glare, and Skara did her best not to show her nerves. Friends or not, opening up was not only showing weakness, it was out of her character. She was supposed to be the fun one! Not the one to bring down the mood, and yet here she was! Being stupid and making things about herself. Willow probably didn’t even want to hear it. 

The other girl pursed her lips, considering, then seemed to make a decision. She reached out to put a hand on Skara’s arm, looking at her with eyes full of compassion. It was a simple act, but the physical contact comforted Skara. 

“It’s okay to talk if you need to. I’m your friend, and so is Luz, and Gus and Amity. We're here for you if you need it, we’ll listen. We’re not like Boscha.”

“I…” 

Skara was taken aback. Of course they were her friends, of course _Willow_ was her friend, she knew that part but… did she really not mind? Could Skara tell her without fear of judgement, or potential blackmail, or irritation, or, or anything? As she looked back at the other girl's determined expression, she decided yes, she could. She trusted Willow. 

But… Skara looked around, they were still in hexside. There were still a few students around, they could try to eavesdrop if they really wanted. It wasn't worth the risk. She _could_ tell Willow, but… not right now. 

She put her hand on top of Willow’s, the moment feeling strangely intimate. “Thank you. But, uh, it’s okay. I was just thinking too hard about something silly. I’ll try to remember that, though.” 

“Of course, it’s what friends do.” Willow smiled at her, then let go. 

Skara wasn’t sure what to think when she immediately felt the loss of contact. She did her best to shake away the feeling as they both continued walking. 

Skara thanked her luck again for fate having led her to become friends with Willow and the rest of them. It had started when Luz shared a few classes with Skara, both technically being in the bard track and all. Luz had been having some trouble in class, and Skara offered her a bit of advice. Sure, Boscha had usually been against the human, but Skara hadn’t seen any harm in it at the time. Plus, she had looked so disheartened, she couldn’t have just _not_ helped her! 

Well… maybe she _could_ have, but she hadn’t wanted to. 

That one little decision had led to a landslide of other effects. Luz started to come to her with other questions she’d had about the class, and then, occasionally outside of class. They became friendly acquaintances, and Skara had, on one particular occasion, gotten sucked into some inane shenanigans with her and Willow, and Luz had confidently declared the three of them friends. But then… Boscha found out about it soon thereafter, and pretty much ordered Skara to not interact with them at all. 

She _had_ actually tried to listen, at first, giving the cold shoulder despite what she'd wanted. But Luz was nothing if not persistent - and not in a bad way - and Skara hadn’t been able to find it in herself to be mean to her. Eventually she had admitted to Luz what had happened, which had started another bout of craziness that ended with Boscha telling Skara to choose between her, or “the human”. Skara had even surprised herself a little by having the confidence to side with Luz. 

It had faded into panic nearly immediately thereafter, but still!

Ever since, she’d become part of their little rag-tag friend group. It was a big change for Skara, she’d basically been encouraged to the point of borderline forced to hang around Boscha and Amity, based on what her parents wanted for her. But then Amity had left to join the human's little friend group, and now Skara had too. And they were so wildly different from how Boscha had ever acted - it was like Skara didn’t have to have her guard up all the time. It was so weird, but… nice? 

And Willow… Willow had completely defied Skara’s expectations, in the best possible ways. 

Skara had always believed her to be a quiet, shy girl who wasn't the best at magic, and had never really thought more into it. When she’d joined her little group of friends, she’d expected Willow to potentially shun her - and Skara wouldn’t really have blamed her for it, not after she supported Boscha for so long. Granted, maybe she should have clued in to that one at least, given how Willow seemed to be friendly even around Amity. Regardless, oh how wrong Skara had been. 

She'd soon discovered that she honestly really enjoyed spending time around Willow. She was surprisingly strong, both magically and physically, but didn’t go around and boast about her power. She just used it to help her friends, and other people where she could. She was brave, loyal, and incredibly considerate. She also knew SO MUCH about plants and plant magic, she was such a natural it shocked Skara that she was ever put in abominations. Skara admired her, and it was such an honest breath of fresh air compared to Boscha, they were so completely different and she _loved it._

Skara had been pushed into different molds throughout her life, pressured by people, her peers, her _parents_ , and she’d come out of it cracking jokes and making light of things, doing her best to never take things too seriously, and had spent years just giving in to whatever Boscha decided to do. It had been easier that way. But Willow? 

She’d been put under pressure and bullied for years, about her lack of magical skill and about who she was, and when she had finally gained both strength, confidence, and new friends, what did she do with it? 

She used it to be kind. She didn’t demean anyone, she was just fun, and herself. Skara had seen her do amazing things, and never once hesitated to help the people she cared about, and stood up for what was right. It was incredible, _Willow_ was incredible. Skara considered herself lucky to be her friend. 

Part of her felt mild disbelief over the concept, even as she trailed just behind the other girl. 

They finally made it outside and a little ways off the school grounds, finding Amity and Gus sitting at a picnic table near the shade of a large tree. Gus appeared to be reading through some sort of human book Luz had given him, and Amity had a few school books and her notepad open to some homework. They were sitting at complete opposite ends of the table, not bothering one another, each doing their own thing. 

Willow picked up the pace, happily sitting down next to Gus, and Skara settled down next to her. Amity didn’t look up from what she was doing, likely absorbed in whatever she was reading, but Gus turned to them both, eyes still glued to the pages of his book. 

“Did you know that humans theorize that vampires sparkle in the sun?” 

Skara blinked, not sure what to think of that statement - it was definitely wrong, vampires didn’t do that - but Willow spoke up, an amused lilt to her voice. 

“Gus, didn’t Luz say that book was human fiction?” as she said this, she grabbed a few books out of her bag and put them onto the table. 

“I believe the term used was ‘trashy fiction’. It's fascinating, most of these concepts about vampires are completely false. But fiction or not, the ideas have to had come from somewhere!” 

“If you say so.” 

“Maybe you can ask Luz when she arrives?” Skara piped up, trying not to flinch when all their attention was diverted towards her. She still wasn’t entirely used to people actually _listening_ and paying attention to her when she spoke. 

“That might work.” Willow replied, then squinted, rubbing her chin with one hand. “Speaking of, where is she anyways?” 

“She might have gotten side-tracked, she seemed a little distracted during abominations 101.” Amity said, still staring at her notes. Skara’s brows furrowed. Had she been paying attention to the conversation this entire time? 

As Skara considered asking for a moment, (concluding it would probably be rude to), a familiar voice called out from the direction she and Willow had come from. 

“GUYS!”

Four heads unanimously turned, watching as Luz hurriedly walked towards them, carrying some sort of… device? It definitely appeared to be from the human realm, having a similar aesthetic look to a lot of the things Skara had seen from there. It was black, in the shape of a rectangle about two feet in height with multiple dials on the front. At the base of the front was a large, black circle, and it had what appeared to be a few detachable microphones hooked onto the back. Overall, Skara wasn’t sure what to make of it. 

Luz made her way over to the table, her signature smile clear on her face, and placed the weird, _thing_ down next to Amity. 

“Can you believe it?!” Luz put her hands on her hips, clearly proud of herself. “This baby was hidden _way_ back in Eda’s storage, she was basically treating it like garbage!”

“Uh, Luz?” Amity spoke up, sharing Skara’s look of confusion. 

“Yeees?” 

“What _is_ it?” Gus asked, leaning over the table to look at the device. He’d put his book down, attention how fully on whatever this new human-thing was. 

“This, my dear friends…” Luz looked around, pausing as though for dramatic effect. “Is a karaoke machine!” 

As Luz energetically explained to them exactly what ‘karaoke’ was, Skara felt a lump of dread curl in her stomach. She did her best not to let it show, Luz seemed so excited, and she didn’t want to be a downer, but… why did it have to involve _singing_ , of all things?! It felt as if the very day itself just had it out for her somehow. Still, she simply let the scene unfold, hoping she wouldn’t be asked about it. 

Apparently the thing Luz brought wouldn’t actually be able to work, it needed “music disks” that Luz hadn’t found any of, but she had some “app” on her “phone” that would apparently serve just fine, she’d just wanted to bring the machine for the realism of it. Gus also pointed out that the mics were a good addition, and Luz wholeheartedly agreed. 

Gus, unsurprisingly, was enamored by it, both the device itself and the entire concept of the human “ritual”, as he put it. Skara had to admit, despite the fact that she absolutely, definitely did not want to take part personally, the idea itself did sound like fun. 

Luz wasted no time, demonstrating to them how it worked - not that it was complicated - and soon got Gus to join in. It looked a little silly, but Skara would admit, it was amusing to watch, and she found herself smiling at the display.

The sound of Willow’s laughter caught her attention, and she turned her head towards her. She had a big smile on her face, watching her friends making fools of themselves, Gus stumbling over the tune he barely knew and Luz cheering him on. Skara felt her smile turn to something fond as she looked at her. She wasn’t laughing at them, in mockery, as Boscha and her gang would have been. She was laughing with them, simply enjoying time with friends. It was nice, and Skara found herself giggling as well. It did look ridiculous, and she found the laughter contagious. 

But as the song ended, Luz turned towards her, and Skara felt her joy dissipate as her heart sank. 

“Whatcha think, Skara? Wanna join in? You are in the bard track, I’m sure you’re a great singer!” Luz asked her, a bright smile on her face. 

Skara swallowed, doing her best to come up with a quick excuse. “Oh, uh, that’s okay! I’m, like, not actually a good singer at all, so…” 

“Aw, I’m sure that’s not true! And besides,” Luz held out the mic towards her, “it doesn’t matter if you’re good or not, this is just for fun!”

Skara was tense, nerves coiling in her stomach as she stared at the microphone in front of her. How something so seemingly innocent was also so ominous was beyond her. What was she supposed to say? She couldn’t - literally _couldn’t_ \- sing in front of them, friends or not. 

“I just… would rather not…” her voice got quieter as she continued, petering off by the end. Titan, how pathetic did she sound? 

There was a beat of silence. 

Skara found she couldn’t look up, she couldn’t look Luz in the eye. Had she messed up? Would Luz pester her further? She was naturally curious, and Skara didn’t blame her for that, but at that moment she wished Luz was _anything but_. She fully expected for Luz to push further, ask more questions that Skara wasn’t confident about answering. 

“Alright.” 

Skara’s head snapped up at the response, but Luz flashed her a quick smile, then turned towards Amity, nonplussed. 

She was bewildered. Luz was always digging for more questions, trying to figure out the whys and hows of things, down to the little details. Yet, she had just accepted Skara’s… honestly, it wasn’t even a reason. It was barely an excuse. 

She felt a hand over her own, and turned to see Willow looking at her with concern. Skara’s breath caught as she leaned in, talking quietly. 

“Are you okay?” 

It was such a simple question, but it was said with such genuine care, Skara’s immediate dismissive ‘I’m fine’ died on her tongue. Willow deserved a better answer than just that. She hadn’t been able to give one in the hallway, there had been strangers around, but these people were her friends, right? Like Willow had said, they weren’t like Boscha. Willow herself _definitely_ wasn’t. 

“I’m… I’m alright. I guess I’m just not used to…” she made a face, looking for the right words. 

“People being understanding when you don’t want to do something you’re uncomfortable with?” Willow offered with a hint of a smirk. 

Skara laughed. “Yeah, pretty much.” 

It was surprisingly easy to talk to Willow sometimes, and Skara loved those moments more than anything. She watched as Willow leaned back a bit, taking her hand off of Skara’s own. She had to resist the want to try to grab, getting a sudden urge to want to interlace her fingers with Willow’s. She blinked, surprised at herself.

“Well, Boscha is the exception to most things, she’s not the typical friend.” Willow’s brow furrowed. “Or a good friend at all, actually, really the opposite.” 

“I think I’m beginning to realize that a lot more now.” Skara felt she meant every word as she looked at the other witch sitting beside her. 

Willow grinned at her in response, and Skara felt warmth blossom in her chest. Huh, that was new. 

_But… not bad._ She thought, lifting her first to her chin, leaning on it as she watched Willow in the corner of her eye. _Definitely not bad._

Her thoughts were interrupted as Luz jumped up triumphantly. Apparently, she’d somehow convinced Amity to join her in karaoke for at least one song. Honestly, it was shocking how different Amity acted around these people, especially Luz. Skara had hung out with her for years, since they were kids, but she’d _never_ seen Amity act the way she did here. She was so much more open, and friendly. The amity Skara had known was barely even present in the girl in front of her, doing her best to sing along with Luz. The latter was singing her heart out, mostly drowning out Amity’s part of the song, but Amity didn’t seem to mind, as she was looking at the other girl with open fondness. 

Skara supposed maybe it did make some sense, though. She glanced over at Willow. She was starting to feel like she could be a lot more open, too, that things were shifting for the better even in herself. Perhaps this little group simply had that effect on people. 

The song finished, and Amity was quick to take back her seat, a slight blush on her cheeks. Luz grinned wide, then turned towards Willow, offering the mic to her. 

“Care for a song, Miss Park?” 

Willow shook her head, not even offering an excuse, but Luz just shrugged. The ease of which she accepted it still felt utterly alien to Skara, but she found herself slowly adjusting to the idea. 

“So who’s next?” Luz looked towards the group with a grin. 

“Luz,” Amity spoke, “maybe we should focus at least a little on studying too? What we, y’know, intended to do here, before any more karaoke.” 

Luz pouted, and opened her mouth as if to argue, but Amity interrupted before any rebuttals could be made. 

“How’s your latest abominations assignment coming along?” 

Luz’s expression turned into a grimace, and she sighed before dutifully sitting down besides Amity with the rest of them. Willow chuckled beside her, expression drawn in a wry smile, even as she looked down towards her own book. 

Skara elected to summon her scroll, looking through a few notes she’d taken on it during class. The silence lasted for about a minute before Luz spoke up again, addressing her. 

“Hey Skara?”

“Hm?”

“Wouldn’t you _have_ to sing since you’re in the bard track?” 

Skara’s brows furrowed at the return to this topic, but she was relieved when the familiar lump of dread didn’t come back with it. She felt a hand shift onto her lap, and she stole a quick glance over at Willow, who sent her a reassuring smile. She subtly moved her hand to hold Willow’s own, and Willow gave a quick squeeze. She was eternally grateful for the support, and it allowed her to finally push past the last of her nerves. 

Skara took a deep breath, looking over at Luz. She showed no hostility, just honest curiosity. She didn’t have any ulterior motives, she was just genuinely curious and wanted to know. Skara was sure, in that moment, that if she simply told her she didn’t want to talk about it, Luz would leave it at that. 

She realized, she _wanted_ to tell them. They were her friends, and the information wouldn’t be forced out of her, or used against her. Those days, with that kind of “friendship”, were over. 

“Uh, no. Bard track students have the choice of pursuing either vocal, instrumental, or both kinds of study. I went with just instrumental.” 

Luz’s expression brightened at that. “Ohh, that makes sense!” 

Skara could stop right there, and the conversation would be considered done. She wasn’t required to say anything more, and yet… 

She wanted to. 

“I- prefer the harp.” she added, doing her best to gain confidence. “I, um. I do like to sing, it’s fun. I used to sing more, but… in front of other people, it’s hard to. I get nervous about it, stage fright I guess.” 

It was just a simple fact about herself, but it felt as though a giant weight was lifted off Skara’s shoulders as soon as she said it out loud. 

“I getcha.” Luz replied easily, causing Skara to relax further. “Though…” she made a show of rubbing her chin, as though in deep thought. “If you ever DID want to sing in front of people, I’d be all ears, no judgement! Promise.” 

Skara smiled awkwardly, appreciative of the offer, but certain she wouldn’t bring Luz up on it any time soon. 

“Thanks.”

To her relief, the conversation ended there, and Skara belatedly noticed that Willow’s hand was still holding her own, quietly supporting her. She looked over at Willow, who glanced back, and mouthed a clear ‘THANK YOU’. Willow smiled, and- she winked. She honest-to-goodness _winked_. Willow Park had just winked at her. Had it become hotter suddenly? 

She felt a blush on her cheeks, grateful for the mild breeze that was blowing right then. The day continued on, Luz asking Amity a question about the material, but Skara didn’t pay particular attention to it, doing her best not to openly stare at the dark-haired witch beside her. 

She had a lot to think about.


	2. healthy growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skara spends a day hanging out with Willow, and learns a bit about plants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s 6am, I’ve been awake for three hours and instead of working more on a botw AU concept, I edited this. My brain’s motivations will never make sense. 
> 
> Still, hope y’all enjoy!

As Skara made her way through bonesborough, using her scroll to try to guide herself to her apparent destination, she started to question her judgement. 

She had wanted to hang out with Willow, just- something casual! And here she was, going over to her _house_ , to spend time with her. Without anyone else. A totally regular activity that friends did with one another, and there was nothing to be nervous about because it was a completely ordinary thing to do. 

Now if only her brain would stick to that narrative. 

Not to get the wrong idea, she loved spending time with Willow. She was fun, and caring, and in general they just seemed to understand each other really well. And Willow was always so willing to check in with her, to make sure that she was comfortable, and Skara did her best to do the same. Around Willow, she just felt comfortable, like she could be herself. It was wonderful, and Skara found herself wanting to spend more and more time around her.

And… okay, so, _maybe_ skara had the tiniest bit of a crush. Possibly. But it was fine! This happened sometimes, she'd get passing crushes, and after some time passed she'd realize that they were just better off as friends. Even though, granted, it had been a bit longer than usual for this one, she was sure it was just taking longer to burn out. That was all - it would fade eventually. 

At least, probably. 

… It was hard, okay! Willow was just so… _Willow._ She was amazing, it was something about the way she held herself, even when she-

Skara shook her head, breaking her train of thought. Not the time. Instead, she forced her focus to the instructions on her scroll, doing her best to follow them. 

She’d asked Willow if she’d be willing to teach her a bit about the plants she cared for, because Skara was considering getting one but didn’t really know what to do to care for them - also because Willow was so passionate about them that it was hard for Skara to not also feel enraptured. Willow had been elated by the idea, and excitedly offered for Skara to come over to her place to hang out, and she’d be able to show her some of her plants herself. Of course Skara had agreed, and now she was trying to follow the directions Willow had given her to her house. She thought she’d understood them, but she’d followed them to a T, and yet she found herself in front of a… bakery? 

She double-checked her scroll again, but this seemed to be where the instructions were leading her to. It was a quaint little storefront, showing off a small assortment of baked goods in the front window. There was a chalk sign near the door, listing the day’s specials, and there were flowers and potted plants decorated around the display. 

She sent a text to Willow through her scroll, letting her know she’d arrived where the instructions had told her to go, but wasn’t sure Willow got them right. She was supposed to be at her house, but this was a bakery? 

Her scroll confirmed that the message had been sent, and she found herself awkwardly standing there. She considered whether she should enter or not, but then shrugged to herself. She didn't see any harm in checking it out at least, so why not? 

As she opened the door, the welcoming smell of various baked goods immediately hit her senses. There weren’t any other customers inside, but things looked well stocked, so she assumed the shop got decent business. On the left side was a glass display of several kinds of sweet baked goods, and at the back end was a countertop with the cash register. On the right wall was a door likely for employees only, and a basket display with some marked-down bread. 

There was a witch standing behind the main counter, going through something Skara couldn’t quite see. He had fair skin and dark hair, and he was wearing a pair of glasses with square lenses. His hair was short, and spiked back, and he appeared to be counting something. He put it away as she opened the door. 

He smiled as Skara entered and looked around, catching her eye after a few moments of her staring around the shop with wide eyes. 

“Hey there, what can I getcha?” 

“Uh, hi.” Skara said, still a little baffled that this was where Willow had led her to. “Sorry, I think I have the wrong place or something.” 

He stared at her for a moment from where he stood, putting his hand to his bottom lip, as though in thought. Skara almost turned around to leave, but he interrupted before she could take more than a step. 

“Hang on, you wouldn’t happen to be looking for my little blossom, would you?” 

“Your, uh- what?” Skara tilted her head in confusion. She was lost. What was he talking about- a blossom? 

His brow furrowed for a second, before his eyes lit up, and he burst into chuckles. “Oh of course, I'm sorry. I mean-”

Rather suddenly, the door Skara had spotted on the right burst open, cutting him off. To Skara's surprise, on the other side was none other than Willow. She immediately caught sight of Skara, expression brightening as they locked eyes. 

“Skara, you’re here!”

“Willow?!” Skara was both equally confused about the situation and happy to see her. 

“There you are, Blossom!” 

The man was now looking towards Willow with an open smile, and as she glanced at them both, Skara could almost feel a lightbulb appear above her head. Of course, they looked so similar! But wait, did he just call her… 

Skara gasped and clasped her own face, breaking out in a grin as she looked towards the girl in question. “ _Blossom?_ ”

Willow immediately gained a rather furious blush, which, frankly, just wasn't fair. Did she have _any_ idea how adorable she was being?

“ _Daad_ , I told you not to call me that!” Willow crossed her arms and glared towards the man - her dad, but the effect of it was largely ruined by how red her face was, and Skara felt herself smiling. 

He walked over towards Willow and ruffled her hair, laughing goodnaturedly. “Aww, but you know Papa and I can’t help it!” 

Willow made a point to shove his hand away, and aggressively fixed her hair, putting it mostly back in place - though it still had its natural messiness to it that Skara lo-liked! That she liked. Willow huffed, then turned back towards Skara, expression shifting back to a grin. 

“Skara! This is my dad, he and Papa own the bakery here. Our house is behind it, I totally forgot to mention! I guess I thought you already knew that, for some reason.”

“That’s okay! I really like this place, it’s nice.” 

And it was true, even though, granted, Skara hadn’t actually tried anything from there yet, it had a pleasant feel about it. It was comfortable, and not cramped at all despite being far from the largest shop around. 

“Well, thank you! Though that’s in no small part thanks to our little blo- sorry, to Willow.” Willow’s dad spoke up again, interrupting himself just in time as Willow leveled him with another intense glare. Somehow, he didn't seem phased by it. “She helps decorate the place with all the flowers, and takes care of the plants you see around.” 

“That’s so cool! You do a great job, Willow.” She complimented her easily, despite her heart beating ever so slightly faster. 

Willow’s expression turned to something Skara didn’t quite recognize, but before she could question it Willow walked over towards her and grabbed her wrist. 

“Haha! Yeah, thanks dad, but we’re gonna go now bye!” 

She promptly made her way towards the door she had just entered from as she spoke. Skara didn’t put up any resistance, currently busy trying to fight down the blush threatening its way onto her face as she stared dumbly at where Willow was holding onto her. Oh Titan, why was that affecting her so much? Was she really in that deep? Willow wasn’t even holding her _hand_ , and yet! 

Willow only took a few more steps after shutting the door behind them, letting go of Skara’s wrist and groaning to herself. They were in a hallway that seemed to lead to the rest of Willow’s home. Now that Skara thought about it, the building _did_ appear to be much larger in size than just the shop at the front, but in her defense, she had been distracted by everything else. 

Not wanting the silence to continue, or for Willow to feel bad, Skara spoke up. 

“Your, uh, your dad seems nice!” 

Willow sighed, and kicked the ground in front of her. “He is, both my fathers are, they’re just… y’know.” 

Skara’s brow furrowed. “Um… no?” 

“ _Embarrassing!_ I mean, they’re great, but especially when they’re together, they’re so lovey-dovey and it just- ughh it’s the _worst!_ ” Willow growled, leaning against the wall and putting her head into her hands. 

“Oh.” Skara took a deep breath, looking down. Quick, what could she say to help? “Well, at least it’s better to have two fathers that love you and embarrass you than parents who don’t seem to care.” 

Okay. Maybe not _that._

Skara felt the tension a second too late, and glanced up to find Willow looking directly at her with worry clear in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but Skara quickly interjected. 

“So! You were gonna show me your plants, or… something?” 

Willow stared at her for a long, awkward moment, her gaze searching. Skara didn’t move, wishing she hadn’t said anything and definitely not wanting this topic to continue. 

Finally, Willow turned around and started to walk down the hallway, motioning with her hand for Skara to follow. “C’mon, I’ll show you where I keep most of them.” 

_Oh my Titan, what have I done to deserve being this girl’s friend?_

Skara was infinitely grateful for Willow in that moment. 

She led Skara down the hallway, and up a set of stairs. She was only able to catch glances through a few rooms of the house, but in general Skara thought the place felt comfortable, like a proper home. she could spot various potted plants scattered through the house, though nothing was decorated in the exact way the shop had been, as if most of them had simply been put there for lack of space. 

“I’m actually really glad you came when you did." Willow said, breaking the comfortable silence as Skara was led through the hallway. "I’ve been trying to go over a history assignment but it feels like trying to herd griffins. I definitely needed a good distraction.” 

“Oh, but I love history! Maybe I can help?” The words were out of Skara’s mouth before she could think better of them, but Willow’s answering smile reassured her before she started to worry further. 

“That would help a lot, thanks. But!” Willow turned around fully, stopping them at a door two rooms away from the stairs. "Let's focus on plants for now, my brain needs a break from that stuff." 

"Aye-aye!"

"You what?"

"I dunno! I've just heard Luz say that before."

Willow shrugged in a way that seemed to say 'seems about right', and finally opened the door to reveal the room behind it. 

"Welcome to the green room!" she declared. 

Skara gasped as it came into full view, stepping in with wide eyes. It was a fairly spacious room, and had a window that both gave a nice view of bonesborough and allowed sunlight to flow in. The most impressive, and eye-catching, part though, was the amount of plants that were within it. 

It seemed as if every space had been carefully selected, planned out ahead of time in order to fit the largest amount of plants without seeming overcrowded. Despite how many there were, they seemed to all be placed in a way that brightened up the room, making it seem lively rather than cramped. In the far corner of the room from the door was a wooden desk with what was possibly schoolwork on top. The desk was tidy, and had a miniature potted fern of some kind in the corner of it. It looked lived in, but comfortable, and far a far cry from the strict tidiness of Skara's room at home.

"It's, uh, really just the spare room my fathers let me use." Willow continued, closing the door behind her. "As long as I kept most of my plants in here, at least. Well, other than the ones we use to grow ingredients for the bakery, that's all in the garden outside, but everything in here is all my own." 

Skara was in awe. 

"Willow, this is amazing!" 

"Aw, it's not that great." 

Skara huffed, and was about to respond with a rebuttal before Willow quickly added, "But thank you, Skara." 

Willow gave her a smile that shone like the sun, and any intelligent words Skara might have had died on her tongue. Instead, she smiled, but lucky for her, it seemed to be enough. 

Willow guided her over towards the desk in the room, letting her sit down. She started explaining the general plant care she went over with some of the simpler-to-care-for plants within her collection. Skara wished she'd seen Willow for who she really was sooner, because she was absolutely enamored by her right then. She showed none of the shyness Skara used to associate her with, speaking with confidence on the best ways to handle an unruly spidertrap flower. 

Willow only seemed to gain confidence with Skara's encouragement, listening intently even as she went off on tangents. Skara took it all in stride, and she was happy to watch as Willow went from more basic care to the different complexities of certain plants native to the isles. 

Skara was fine to listen to her all day, propping one elbow onto the desk and leaning her head onto her first. She was definitely not smiling like a goof though, no matter what anyone said. Certainly not at all, and _definitely_ not because of her crush, either. 

But then, Skara always had been a bad liar. 

In her own defense, Willow was just being so openly confident and comfortable being herself right then, it was hard not to be enamoured by it. 

An alarm went off in the room, breaking them both out of the easy rhythm, and causing Skara to jump. Willow mumbled a curse under her breath. 

"Is everything okay?" Skara asked, sitting up slightly as Willow went over to her scroll to turn it off. 

"Yeah." Willow sighed. "I just completely forgot, I have to feed a few of the carnivorous plants today. They're not big enough to be a danger to us," she clarified after seeing Skara's (rightfully, she thought) rather concerned expression, easing her worries. "but, they can get grouchy if they’re not fed on time." 

"Oh, can I help?" 

Willow made a face. "I'd love help, but they can be kinda picky. Probably better if I do it."

"That's okay!" she said, "You _are_ the expert." 

Willow rubbed the back of her head sheepishly before heading out of the room, claiming she'd be back with the materials she needed in a minute. 

Skara found herself easily enjoying simply being in the "green room". She thanked fate, or the Titan, or whatever force out there that she'd become friends with Willow and her little group, even if it had taken her a while to get there. 

Then, a realization hit her like a hippogriff in flight, and Willow reentered the room, carrying a handful of various bags, powders and mixing bowls. She smiled at Skara, who managed to give her one back about a second later, judging by Willow's now-amused expression. Thankfully, she didnt tease her for it though, merely starting to get to work. 

Skara leaned back in the chair, lightly drumming on the wood of the desk with her index finger. She peered towards Willow, who was currently sorting through what appeared to be several different small mixing bowls, lining them up. She took a deep breath then sat up straight, gathering the courage to speak. 

“Hey Willow?” 

The witch in question turned towards Skara, tilting her head in an unspoken question. It was kind of adorable, honestly, but Skara internally shook herself, forcing her mind to focus. 

“I don’t think I ever like, properly apologized for what I did to you, back when I was friends with Boscha.” 

“Oh, no, that’s okay!” Willow avoided her gaze, but her smile seemed strained. Skara trudged on. 

“No, it’s not.” Before she could think better of it, she walked over and grabbed the other girl’s hands in her own, pushing down the feelings that came alone with the action, and forcing Willow to look her in the eyes. She needed her to hear this. 

“It was- _I_ was really mean… even if I didn’t, like, directly do anything to you like Boscha, I still encouraged it. I still helped her, I thought it was funny. But it wasn’t, and you didn’t deserve any of it. I’m sorry.” 

There was a moment of silence, and Skara started to take her hands away, unsure if Willow was comfortable, but she immediately grabbed them back, squeezing. 

“I- thank you, Skara. I forgive you.” 

Skara’s eyes widened. “What? Really, just like that?” 

“I forgave Amity, and she was much worse to me.” Willow shot her a smile, one Skara immediately mirrored. “I think you just… hung out with the wrong crowd for a while.”

 _That_ was an understatement. “I never realized how _bad_ they were. You and Luz and everyone, you’re all great! Boscha was just…” she trailed off, struggling for the right word to use. 

“A bitch?” Willow deadpanned. 

Skara gasped dramatically, pulling her hands away and towards her face to try to stifle her giggles. “ _Willow!_ ” 

“Am I wrong?”

Skara looked up at her. There was a hint of a smirk on her face, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Skara couldn’t help it, she burst into laughter - Willow soon joining in. It was a brilliant sound, and she noted the dimples that appeared on Willow’s cheeks as she smiled all the wider. 

Warmth spread into her chest, and Skara was helpless to resist it. How could she, with this amazing, wonderful girl in front of her? She couldn’t remember a time or a person she’d really been this comfortable around, and it was such a freeing feeling she wasn’t sure she ever wanted it to stop. 

But the moment couldn’t last forever, and eventually their laughter died down. 

Skara allowed Willow to get back to feeding her plants, apologizing for having distracted her, but Willow is quick to brush it off with a smile. A comfortable silence settled between them then, and Skara elected to open her scroll to go through a few notes she had taken during class that day. 

Her teacher had thought it was a good idea to combine instrumentalist and vocalist students of the bard track into one class for a few projects. On the one hand, it gave Skara a bit of an opportunity to learn more about the vocalist parts of the track, but it was also mostly just a display of skills from both kinds of students, so she was a little disappointed. 

Currently, she was looking over a few of the songs they'd been given. She was one of the main brass players to support the three singers for the song. She knew the lyrics, it was a semi popular one, but she was only performing through her instruments. Though she didn't have her instrument with her right then, going over the sheet music wouldn't hurt. 

As she went over it, she imagined the beat in her head, lightly tapping her foot and ghosting through the fingerings as best she could. Doing her best to tune the world out, she started to lightly hum the main tune to get a better idea in her head of the melody, going through her part of the sheet music. 

She was able to go through the song about one and a half times before her focus was broken by a gasp and a muttered curse behind her, along with the sound of something dropping onto the floor, and Skara immediately froze. 

Holy shit, Willow was still there. 

Willow was there, in the room with her, and she had started humming without thinking about it. Why had she just done that?! Sure, it wasn't exactly singing, but it was close enough, and Skara also definitely didn't just start doing it around others! 

She was unable to move, absolutely mortified but trying her best to push down the fear trying to crawl its way up her spine. Titan, she hated this, she hated that her body decided to have this reaction against her wishes. What would Willow do? Skara had said to her once how much she couldn't sing in front of others, and now Skara was acting all weird, how badly had she just messed up? 

Willow didn't comment on it though, instead just continuing on with what she was doing. Skara wanted to say something, to _do_ anything, but she feared trying to speak, unsure if she'd even find herself capable at the moment. She was not about to face the shame or pity if she tried and failed to, either. 

Another few seconds passed by with Skara still completely lost with what action to take next, but then she heard Willow stop whatever she was doing, the muffled sounds behind her ceasing. Skara risked a glance her way, and found Willow staring right back at her. For a moment, she debated whether trying to speak at all would be better than nothing, but Willow beat her to the punch. 

"Your voice is nice." 

Skara blinked. What? 

Willow smiled at her with a soft expression, then turned around to pour a mixture into the soil of one of the nearby plants. Like she hadn't said anything at all, let alone _that._

Skara felt her frozen state of building panic slowly melt away, her chest instead burning with warmth. Despite the situation, she suddenly felt light, and if she were alone she would have wanted to burst into song, just to do _something_ to let the energy out. 

Oh, this wasn’t just a passing crush, was it? 

Skara decided to not let herself dwell on that revelation until later, when she had time. She was very glad to find her previous nervous tension out of her muscles. She didn’t even want to go lie in a hole or something similar, which was definitely what she would usually expect after having done something like _accidentally humming a song in front of someone, especially her crush._ But then again, maybe it did make sense, given who it was. 

She realized that she mostly definitely wouldn’t be able to focus on her schoolwork at all anymore, and if she tried her mind would likely just wander back to what had just happened. But she didn’t want to just sit there, she needed to distract her brain with something. 

With that thought in mind, she turned back towards Willow, who seemed like she was just wrapping up what she’d been doing, and started talking before she could think better of it. 

“Is taking care of these guys any different from the ones at school?” 

Willow seemed mildly surprised that she was being spoken to, but recovered quickly to respond. “Well, most of the plants at Hexside are a _lot_ bigger and potentially dangerous than most of these guys, but overall it’s not super different.” 

Skara made a sound of acknowledgement, thinking of the plants homeroom over at school. She hadn’t really ever been there - she’d never had a reason for it - but from what she knew, most of the plants kept there were handled with caution. Students not within the plant track were encouraged to steer clear - and when hexside _actually recommended something for student safety_ , it was probably a good idea to listen. 

“Although, um.” Willow spoke up again, gaining Skara’s attention. She looked nervous, averting her eyes. Skara found it odd, considering _she_ had been the one to just embarrass herself mere minutes ago, not Willow. 

“Sometimes when I’m alone,” she continued, “I like to talk to my plants, but it’s kind of hard to that that at school, without people watching me.” 

“You talk to them?” 

“Yeah! It, uh, well… I like to think it helps them grow and flourish, and maybe get them to feel a little special.” 

Willow was blushing a little, and Skara was a bit distracted. She wanted to concentrate on the conversation, though she was a second late in responding, and the other girl speaking up again before Skara could open her mouth. 

“But that probably sounds kinda ridiculous, doesn’t it? I mean, why would anyone talk to a plant…” She laughed, but Skara could tell it wasn’t genuine. 

“What?” Skara’s brow furrowed, Willow looked so discouraged. Skara was not about to allow that. “No!! I think it’s cute.” 

Cool. She’d meant to say _cool-_

“O-oh. Really?”

“Yeah!” Skara smiled wide and bright, moving past her slip. 

Still, even with her encouragement, Skara could tell that Willow seemed a little unsure. Was she nervous that Skara would judge her for what she’d just said? But why would she… 

She was reminded of the multiple times, through the hallways, and sometimes directly in front of Willow, Boscha had made fun of the girl - especially for her love of plants. _And,_ she thought even more bitterly, _all the times I laughed along with her._

A pit of guilt curled in her stomach, and she didn’t even think twice as she got up from where she was sitting, and crouched down to be eye-level (or, relatively so at least) with one of the small potted ferns on a table next to Willow. 

Willow looked at her with an expression displaying clear confusion. “What are you-” 

“Hey little guy!” The fern had splaying golden leaves, and was sitting in a dark brown pot. “Your leaves are super pretty! I bet Willow takes great care of all of you, huh?” 

The plant, unsurprisingly, didn’t really react, but its leaves did sparkle a little in the sunlight. She felt a little silly doing it, but it was also kinda fun, in a weird way. 

She turned to Willow, who she found to be staring at her with a look Skara couldn’t quite discern. Skara felt her heart rate speed up, and neither looked away for a few moments. 

“Am I- doing it right?” she asked, unsure what she’d do if their staring contest continued unbroken. Better to not risk it. 

“What? Oh! Uh, yeah! Just like that.” Willow responded, promptly breaking eye contact, and looking the opposite direction from Skara. Still, she could have sworn she saw a light blush appear on Willow’s face. 

Skara snuffed out the tiny spark of hope that ignited within herself at that moment. It was just one little moment, it didn’t _mean_ anything, and she was probably just projecting what she wanted. 

No reason to dwell on it. 

“So uh… did you want help with that history stuff?” 

Willow dramatically sighed, but it seemed mostly for show. 

“Ugh, do we have to?” Skara could tell she was joking from the smile on her face, and her own expression brightened. 

“C’mon,” she said, grabbed the other girl by the arm. “I’ll do my best to make it fun!” 

“History is never fun.” 

“Maybe you just haven’t given it a fair shot!” 

Willow seemed unconvinced, but let herself be dragged over without much resistance. 

In the end, despite being unable to sway Willow that history wasn’t all that bad, time seemed to pass by quickly. All too soon Skara was forced to leave or risk not being home in time for dinner. Willow’s fathers - since her “Papa” had arrived home at some point - invited her to stay, but Skara had to insist that she go. Her parents would kill her if she just stayed without good reason, or being notified beforehand. Still, she thanked them for the offer. 

Willow grabbed her by the wrist again to get her away from the conversation immediately after her dad offered to show old school photos, and Skara was caught between laughing and her heart racing at the cute blush on Willow’s face _combined_ with the touching. 

With that, they found themselves outside in Willow’s backyard/garden, Willow unlatching the back gate to allow Skara to leave without having to travel through the shop. Or her fathers, if Skara were to guess. She stood there, not wanting to just leave but unsure exactly what to say. Willow seemed to have a similar problem, and they both stood there awkwardly for a few long seconds. 

Skara forced herself to take the first step. 

“Well! Sorry I have to go, but, I really shouldn’t be late, so…” 

“Oh, no, it’s okay!” Willow responded. “I’m glad you were able to stay even for this long.” Willow smiled, and Skara responded in kind. 

“Yeah! I had fun today.” 

“Me too!” she paused. “Minus the history stuff, that is.” 

Skara gasped indignantly. “Hey!” 

She kept an attempt at a serious expression for exactly one second before they both burst into laughter. It wasn’t even funny, Skara was sure, but it didn’t matter and she didn’t care. She just enjoyed the other girl’s company, honestly. 

It died back down, and the awkward silence returned. Skara took a deep breath, and opened the latch on the gate, stepping out. 

“Well… see you at school!” 

“Wait-” 

Willow reached her hand out for a moment, before pulling it back. A second of silence passed before she spoke up again. 

“Thanks. For today.” 

“You’re, uh, welcome?!” Skara… wasn’t actually sure what she was being thanked for, honestly. She simply watched, mildly confused, as Willow smiled at her response before walking back towards the back entrance of the house, waving, and shutting the door behind her. Skara waved back as she did, and started the trek back to her own home. 

It hit her that she’d completely forgotten about the slip up she’d had humming around Willow. She hadn’t even done that in front of anyone else in _years,_ now. An extra spring went into her step, and she felt a giggle bubble up through her chest, glad that there wasn’t anyone else around her to wonder about her acting weirdly in public. Thinking about the day, and about Willow, it just made her feel giddy, she couldn’t help it! 

She still wasn’t okay singing in front of anyone, but she was getting more comfortable around Willow, and that alone was a wonderful feeling. 

Then again, Willow wasn’t just anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi it’s been several months that I’ve had this drafted with over 5k words I just haven’t edited it since october 
> 
> my motivation for things is highly based around what I’m hyperfixating on at the time, and in that time since being focused on this fic I’ve made a total of 6 different complex AUs/story concepts for fandoms including ToH, Victorious, and Breath of the Wild so what I’m saying is I have no idea when/if I’ll ever get the next chapters finished, but… I decided editing this already-written chapter shouldn’t take *too* much effort to do, and if you’re reading this, then I was right! 
> 
> regardless, thank you for reading, and if you wish to find me elsewhere, I am @artemiswlw over on twitter. I’m fairly active there, and you even might be able to track my hyperfixations based on what I talk about LMAO

**Author's Note:**

> “But author,”, you cry, “this doesn’t make any sense! How would Luz have had time to get the karaoke machine between classes? The owl house is so far away!” 
> 
> Well, dear reader, easily! Either she found it before school, then kept it as a secret for the day because she was excited, didn’t have or skipped a class during the last period, or, and this is the simplest answer, because plot! :D
> 
> But seriously though, not everything has to come with a clear answer. Certainly not for a shorter fic centered around a rare-pair like this. 
> 
> Also I’m sorry to any Boscha stannies, she doesn’t actually appear in this story but she’s just talked about negatively djfhdjf but you gotta admit that at the very least, in canon she’s just. Kind of a bitch, so. JSHSJFD
> 
> If you want to find me elsewhere, I'm over on twitter under the @ "artemiswlw"!


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